As we hit the weekend, one of the top sporting events of the year is underway, The Masters. I like many of you reading along have a great affinity for this tournament and its famous host venue. Every April the great game of golf takes center stage as yearly drama in Augusta captivates the viewing public for four days. The very moments that define the drama on the course have been brought into our living rooms by some of the best orators sports television and radio have known. Of course, in recent years Jim Nantz has become synonymous with the event, bringing us great calls and interviews from Butler Cabin. But it goes beyond Nantz as Mike Tirico, Brent Musburger, Pat Summerall, Frank Gifford, Dick Enberg and even Vinny Scully have captured the sights and sounds of the tournament. But for me, one voice always stood out above the rest, and that is the great Verne Lundquist, who is retiring from broadcasting this weekend after calling his 40th Masters.

I was once an aspiring play-by-play broadcaster before I became a corporate employee and amongst my many heroes, “Uncle Verne” as he’s affectionately known, was one of my chief inspirations. There was just something magnetic about the way he called a game or a moment within it that hit home for me. Perhaps it was the fact that he always seemed to be having fun in the booth. Maybe it was his genuine emotion at what just happened, something that you as a viewer could identify with. Sure he always seemed to get the big moment to come his way, after all his peers say he’s the luckiest guy in the business, but his ability to perfectly capture those moments speaks volumes about his work and style.

The first time I can remember Lundquist’s work registering with me was the moment you just watched above. Frankly, that moment in time was seminal in my life as a sports fan and aspiring media member. I, like many other nine year old kids, found golf boring and groaned when it was on TV up until this magical Sunday in 2005. I can vividly remember watching Tiger Woods hole out on 16 as he charged up the leaderboard, and the magical words that went with it. It was the moment where Woods brilliance and how exciting the serene sport could be truly sunk in. I had never seen an athlete do something like that in my life to that point, and of course Verne had the perfect words to go with it. “In your life have you seen anything like that?!” It was like we were sitting next to him in the tower at 16, not on our couches. He truly brought you there with the perfect call. I was hooked!

Of course, while he has used his reactions to cover the thrill of victory, Lundquist has also used his abilities to perfectly capture the agony of defeat. Take the moment above, one that doesn’t get much more painful for fans of certain generation. Verne was the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys from 1967 to 1984 and was on the call for the team’s heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1979 Super Bowl. Trailing 21-14 in the third quarter, Dallas went on a drive and faced third down in the red zone and tight end Jackie Smith worked his way into wide open space in the end zone. Roger Staubach fired of the middle and the wide-open Smith dropped a pass that would have tied the game. While it wasn’t the decisive play in the game, it wound up being the turning point as the Cowboys settled for a field goal in this spot and eventually lost by four. Smith’s pain was immediately evident, and the frustration was encapsulated in another genuine show of Lundquist emotion. “DROPPED! DROPPED IN THE END ZONE, JACKIE SMITH IN THE END ZONE ALL BY HIMSELF! Oh, bless his heart he’s got to the sickest man in America.” A sentence that has lived in NFL infamy and is replayed over and over. All part of the mark that Lundquist has left on the industry and the games we love.

If you’re sensing a theme here, aside from genuine passion, its simplicity. As one of my broadcasting mentors later told me, less is more. You don’t have to be showy; you don’t have to step all over the moment, and never make the call about you. Just let the pictures and the crowd tell the story. As far as I’m concerned, very few did this as well as Lundquist. Take his call of Auburn’s infamous “kick six” against Alabama, one that I consider to be the perfect example of how to call a big moment in a game. “Uncle Verne” served as the voice of the SEC on CBS from 2000 to 2016 and had many signature moments but his best usually came in the Iron Bowl. The rivalry between the Tide and the Tigers was at a fever pitch in 2013 dand with the game tied Nick Saban elected to attempt a game winning field goal after one second was added to the clock. As the kick fell short, Auburn return man Chris Davis took centerstage, running the miss all the way back for a game winning touchdown. The dramatic play was well documented by Verne in just a few short phrases. “Davis goes left, Davis gets a block, Davis HAS ANOTHER BLOCK, CHRIS DAVIS, NO FLAGS, TOUCHDOWN! AUBURN! AN ANSWERED PRAYER” will be etched the memories of fans for generations to come. Less is more, as the master makes evident here.

From the hardwood…

To the Greens…

To the big screen…

Nobody did it quite like Verne Lundquist. At 83 years old he has enjoyed a brilliant 57-year broadcasting career, one that is rightfully being celebrated by players and colleagues alike. “He has just an amazing ability to bring in the audience and describe a situation and just be able to narrate it in a way that is poetic but it’s also – he describes it with emotionality, he just draws the audience in,” said Tiger Woods before hitting the course this week. So, my advice to you all besides enjoying the tournament itself this weekend, is to take the time to enjoy one last weekend with “Uncle Verne” calling the action from the tower at 16. Thanks for the memories and inspiring many like me Verne, you are a true icon.

I hope you all enjoyed this trip down memory lane, as much as I enjoyed putting it together. When I launched this site, I wanted to write about my favorite broadcasters and their craft, and while its taken a while to do so this was the perfect time to do my first piece of this type. There will definitely be more to follow as we’ll take a look at some of my other favorite broadcasters and sports media as a whole. You can find me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Also, check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. We have also launched a new podcast which carries the same name as the Instagram account. We are embarking on an exciting partnership with our friends at the Rangers Ed Podcast, so stay tune for more announcements regarding this endeavor in the weeks ahead. We’ll be back with more soon!